Sleep and Rest in Japan and the World

Sleep and Rest in Japan and the World 

According to an article found on the website lifestyle.sustainability-directory.com, sleep culture "describes the collective attitudes, practices, and societal structures that shape human rest and sleep patterns. It involves individual behaviours, communal norms, and the physical environment influencing sleep duration, quality, and timing.". Today's class made me realise that a "culture of sleep" exists in our current societies. I had this idea that the "concept of sleep" was universal but I realised that it was much more different in reality. 

The videos that we have watched showed me the differences with my own culture. I had this cliché before coming to Japan that the only thing that Japanese people do is work a lot.  We have a slogan in French that summarises this: "métro, boulot, dodo". It can be translated as "subway, work, sleep" and that is usually the routine that French people try to avoid. 

According to an article found on the website sleep watchapp.com, "the concept of "Nemuri", or sleeping while present, is widely accepted and even encouraged in some workplaces. Employees are often seen taking short naps at their desks or during meetings, which is seen as a sign of dedication and hard work rather than laziness.". I believe that in France, sleeping at work is seen as a sign of laziness and therefore is very bad. Nevertheless I think that the different concepts in the video such as the glasses to detect the need to sleep, the sleep capsule to analyse your sleep or the room to sleep at work are good. 

However, I maintain the thought that if Japanese people had better work schedules with given tasks tailored to their needs and their daily schedule, they would feel better and be more productive because they wouldn’t feel the need to sleep during their workday and it would be healthier for them. In the book Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams published in 2017 by the scientist Matthew Walker, he discusses the importance of sleeping, the side effects of failing to do so, and its negative impact on society. That is why I believe that the "culture of sleep" in Japan is not healthy. 

Overall, this reflection helped me understand that sleep is not universal but strongly influenced by culture. These differences between France and Japan show that practises like sleeping at work can be perceived very differently. Even if some Japanese solutions are interesting, I believe that a better balance between work and rest would be healthier and improve productivity.